Hyderabad: The Telangana government plans to introduce a Unified Welfare Card to bring multiple welfare schemes and public services onto a single platform for citizens across the state.
Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao said the initiative aims to simplify access to government services, improve transparency and strengthen digital governance. He also asked officials to study smart card systems operating in other states before finalising the Telangana model.
Ramakrishna Rao chaired a high-level review meeting with senior officials from various departments at the Dr B.R. Ambedkar Telangana Secretariat on Friday. The meeting followed directions from Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.
Unified Welfare Card to connect government services
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary asked officials to develop the Unified Welfare Card by bringing details of all welfare schemes onto a single platform.
He instructed departments to prepare an implementation framework based on the concept of “One Card, Access to All Welfare Schemes.”
Officials will link ration distribution, pensions, Mahalakshmi and other welfare programmes to the card. Additionally, Ramakrishna Rao stressed the need to protect citizens’ data and privacy while developing the system.
He asked officials to submit a detailed plan within 10 days. Furthermore, he told departments to examine the feasibility of linking birth and death certificates, pension records and health profiles to the card.
Meanwhile, the government intends to make various public services more accessible through a unified digital platform. Consequently, citizens may be able to access multiple welfare benefits through a single card.
Moreover, the Chief Secretary emphasized coordination among departments to ensure smooth implementation of the initiative.
Special Chief Secretaries Vikas Raj and Sabyasachi Ghosh, Principal Secretaries Sandeep Kumar Sultania, Shailaja Ramaiyer, Yogita Rana and Christina Z. Chongthu, along with other senior officials, attended the meeting.
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